Erdoğan says plans calls with Putin, Zelenskiy for leaders' meeting

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday he was planning to hold phone calls with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in the coming days, adding that he hoped the calls could lead to a leaders' meeting in Turkey to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good ties with both, and has taken a mediating role. It has hosted talks between the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers in Antalya, and negotiators from both countries in Istanbul while pushing for a leaders' meeting.

Talking to reporters in Istanbul, Erdoğan said the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine yielded "positive" results so far, but not exactly as it should have been.

"We are not without hope," Erdoğan told reporters when asked about the peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. "Our friends will get in touch with them today, we plan to hold a call again with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy today or tomorrow," he said.

"With the calls, we plan to carry the process in Istanbul to the leaders' level," he added.

Talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on March 29 were seen as a breakthrough in the push to halt hostilities that, according to the UN figures, have claimed the lives of at least 2,345 civilians and left 2,919 more injured since Feb. 24.

After the Istanbul meeting, a Ukrainian negotiator said Kyiv wants Turkey among the countries that will be guarantors in any deal with Moscow.

In March, Turkey also brought together the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in its southern resort city of Antalya, the first meeting of senior government officials from the two sides since the start of the war.

Regarding Turkey's latest anti-terror operation in northern Iraq, he said security forces have neutralized 45 PKK terrorists in Operation Claw-Lock, inflicting agonizing pain upon the terror group.

He said three Turkish soldiers were also killed during the operation, adding that "we will continue our fight against terrorism steadily and tirelessly."

PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Turkey.

In 2020, Turkey launched operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle in the border regions of northern Iraq to ensure the safety of the Turkish people and the frontiers.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK-listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU-has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.